FEATURE
ADVENTURE
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HOLIDAY
WITH A
DIFFERENCE
NEVER MIND HELPING OTHERS FIT OUT
THEIR HOMES, HOW ABOUT BUILDING
A HOUSE FOR SOMEONE ELSE? WHILE
FINDING THE TIME TO VOLUNTEER TO HELP
THOSE LESS FORTUNATE COULD SOUND
LIKE A PIPEDREAM, MAKE THE TIME AND
YOU WILL COME BACK TO WORK WITH A
WHOLE NEW PERSPECTIVE.
or the majority of us,
that well-deserved break
from work is mostly
spent switching off and relaxing in
whichever way we choose. It
could be sitting by a pool sipping
an ice-cool beer, on the beach,
with family or doing something
more adventurous.
Spending your downtime doing
some hard labour isn’t the first
thing that springs to mind.
And yet, an increasing number
of people are taking off to some
reasonably remote destinations
across the globe to volunteer their
skills to help those less fortunate.
Not only do you get away from
things and meet some new people,
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44 GEMCELL.COM.AU APR – MAY 2019
but you’ll also get to see a new
part of the world, and come back
with a whole new appreciation for
what you’ve got at home.
So, if you’d like a break from
helping your clients fix up their
homes, why not help build a new
home for someone else?
After all, your trade skills will
be in seriously high demand!
Wendy Chandler is a lecturer at
Western Sydney University, and
has been volunteering regularly in
East Timor for almost a decade.
“Trade skills in places such as
East Timor are unbelievably
valuable,” she says. “Not only on a
practical level, but also from an
educational perspective.
ONE FOR
THE PARENTS
FIRST-HAND
EXPERIENCE
THE LOWDOWN
There are many companies online
that offer trips overseas to help
communities that go without the
things we take for granted.
From water sanitation projects
to house builds, disaster recovery
to urban programming, there are
so many projects happening that
aim to tackle poverty in a
sustainable manner.
You book almost as if you’re
booking a holiday – which in effect
you are. Just this type of holiday
you won’t find recommended by
your travel agent!
Whether you want to head off
to places such as Cambodia,
Vietnam, Fiji, Chile or India, it’s
not about donating money so
much as it’s about donating
yourself.
HOW IT WORKS
The concept is simple. Jump
online and search for something
along the lines of ‘Volunteering
Overseas’. You’ll find a few
companies offering similar things
– essentially a holiday as you’ve
never had before.
There are many different types
of projects happening in a number
of different places, on set dates.
You pay a fee, which goes
towards the materials that will be
used, and your accommodation
during the trip. Usually, you
need to sort out your own flights,
and other things such as
vaccinations.
Of course, it’s not a case of ship
in, get to work and ship out again.
For a week’s trip, for example,
a regular format is a welcome
dinner, a couple of days of
sight-seeing and exploring the
local area, and two-three days
work.
And it’s not just about building,
either. You may want a complete
break from the day job. If so, you
can help rescue sea turtles, take
part in an archeological dig or
support kids in classrooms.
CLOSER TO HOME
If the prospect of helping others
sounds appealing, but you either
can’t do a week or two overseas,
or you’d prefer to help those
closer to home, there are ways you
can do that, too.
One nice thing about
volunteering on a project here in
Australia is that you can get a
group of your mates or
workmates together to donate a
day of your time to help. Habitat
for Humanity, for example, offers
the chance to take part in a
backyard blitz-style day within an
hour of Sydney, and other
opportunities to help build
homes for those in need around
Melbourne and Adelaide.
So, if you’d like to experience
something a bit different and get a
warm, fuzzy feeling knowing
you’ve helped someone less
fortunate, consider taking a trip.
You’ll be doing something that
genuinely does make the world a
better place.
LEGRAND’S KATIE MITCHELL
RECENTLY SPENT SOME TIME
VOLUNTEERING IN CAMBODIA.
“We stopped by HUSK Cambodia
during our travels along the
Cambodian countryside – HUSK is an
amazing organisation, with a key focus
on education and sustainability, and a
belief that education is key to breaking
Cambodia’s poverty cycle.
“The students are currently working on
the ‘Eco Block’ project, where plastic
bottles are collected and packed
tightly with clean landfill rubbish like
plastic bags, polystyrene trays and
straws.
“’Eco Bricks’ are then made and have
helped build this beautiful community
school. It was a great experience on a
number of levels - it does make you truly
appreciate what you have here at home,
however there’s also huge fulfilment
being able to help other people.
“And it’s also just nice to get away from
your day-to-day – you come back with
a clearer mind, and a different
perspective on life.”
Dreading the prospect of
your kids heading off to
‘Schoolies’? Consider
suggesting an alternative
schoolies, instead.
Rather than heading to the
Gold Coast for a week of,
well, rather not think about
it... a number of school
leavers now are heading to
places such as Ghana for a
week or two of giving back
to the world.
Companies are offering
special high school
specials during school
holidays, for kids to travel
overseas and lend a
helping hand. From
archeological digs to
environmental
conservation, building work
to childcare, teenagers are
heading overseas for a
week or two to experience
something completely
different.
For a dose of reality and
perspective, it could be the
best money you ever spend
on your kids’ education...
APR – MAY 2019 GEMCELL.COM.AU
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